Carole Baskin will be played by Kate McKinnon in the Tiger King miniseries.
Courtesy Netflix
Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness remained the No. 1 most-watched show on Netflix on Wednesday and there’s good news for viewers who binged all seven episodes and want more. The filmmakers have said they have enough footage for a follow-up, plus there’s also a podcast about Joe Exotic and his big cat universe, as well as a planned miniseries starring Saturday Night Live’s Kate McKinnon.
The seven-episode Netflix series (spoilers ahead) directed by Eric Goode and Rebecca Chaiklin, focuses on Joseph Maldonado-Passage — aka Joe Exotic — and his Oklahoma exotic-animal park. It starts off genially loopy, with mulleted Joe marrying two men at the same time in a hot-pink wedding, before exploding into a stormy feud between Joe and Carole Baskin, the owner of a big cat sanctuary — leading to a murder-for-hire plot. The constantly amped-up craziness of each episode has provided a much-needed distraction for many in the midst of the global coronavirus outbreak.
But if you’ve seen all seven episodes and have a cat-scratch fever for more, take heart: There may be more big catitude to come. Here are four ways you can get more Tiger King.
Hope for season 2 of the Netflix series
Joe Exotic of Tiger King fame is now behind bars.
Courtesy Netflix
The seven Netflix episodes end with Joe Exotic himself behind bars in federal prison for plotting to kill his rival, Baskin. He’s still there, though the colorful characters who surrounded Joe are scattered to the wind — click here for updates on many of them. But the story’s not over.
“We have a crazy amount of footage and it’s a story that’s still unfolding,” Director Rebecca Chaiklin told Entertainment Weekly. “We’re not sure yet, but there could be a follow-up on this story because there’s a lot that’s still unfolding in it and it’ll be just as dramatic and just as colorful as what has unfolded these past few years.”
Chaiklin didn’t specify whether there’s be enough material for a full second season — or perhaps just an additional episode or two — and a representative for Netflix did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Listen to the podcast
The Netflix filmmakers weren’t the only ones working for years to tell this fascinating and bizarre story. You can listen to a podcast on the same topic. The second season of Wondery’s Over My Dead Body podcast is titled Joe Exotic: Tiger King and is written, narrated and reported by Robert Moor, who worked for years on the show. (Don’t miss Moor’s New York magazine article on Joe from September 2019, too.)
Unlike the Netflix series, the podcast is still delivering fresh content. New episodes come out on Tuesday, and the podcast is also sharing bonus episodes, featuring interviews with members of the Joe universe, including Baskin and Joe’s former romantic partner John Finlay.
Help cast the miniseries
Because a hit entertainment series can spread to other media as quickly as a tiger can jump on a pair of cologne-soaked shoes, the podcast has been optioned by NBC Universal to be made into a miniseries. So far, the only cast member announced is Saturday Night Live comedian Kate McKinnon, who’ll play Baskin as well as serve as an executive producer. A representative for McKinnon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Moor told Andy Cohen that he’d love to see Margot Robbie play Joe Exotic in a gender-switch role. “Look at her eyes, she has eyes that look just like Joe’s” he says. “I think she’d do a great job with it.” Moor said he’d like to see John C. Reilly as Doc Antle, the founder of a South Carolina wildlife preserve who also plays a role in the podcast and Netflix show. Moor invited listeners to tweet cast suggestions to him.
Watch David Spade’s videos
Actor David Spade has fallen down the Joe Exotic rabbit hole and has conducted a number of video interviews with people who appeared in the show. Until that possible second season or additional episode comes along, Spade’s videos are almost like short bonus episodes and a Tiger King fan should definitely check them out.
So far, Spade has interviewed Joe’s ex-partner John Finlay; former zoo manager John Reinke; Jeff Lowe, who took over the animal park; and former park employee Kelci “Saff” Saffery. Spade’s not only a fan, he keeps getting suggested as a cast member for the Joe Exotic miniseries. Besides, his role as Joe Dirt in the 2001 comedy proved the man knows his way around a mullet.